Queen Mary 2: Transatlantic vs Port to Port Cruising

[exlondoner]

14 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Is South Queensferry often difficult for tenders? They had to suspend tendering on QA in May for about an hour because it was too rough. They used only the hired local boats.

 

My tour was cancelled because the tickets for the royal yacht Britannia were times, and the suspension put us too far behind to make our time. It was pouring rain, and as much as I was sorry to miss seeing the ship, I wasn't looking forward to being wet and sitting in a coach, dripping on my seat. 

Certainly, it was decidedly bumpy when we were at Newhaven just along the Firth. It may be the inevitable effect of funnelling all that water into a narrowing space.

[Victoria2]

43 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Is South Queensferry often difficult for tenders? They had to suspend tendering on QA in May for about an hour because it was too rough. They used only the hired local boats.

 

My tour was cancelled because the tickets for the royal yacht Britannia were times, and the suspension put us too far behind to make our time. It was pouring rain, and as much as I was sorry to miss seeing the ship, I wasn't looking forward to being wet and sitting in a coach, dripping on my seat. 

We have 'done' Queensferry quite a few times and yes, it's a deceptive tender trip.

 

We had tendering suspended on a QE visit a few years ago but I would say generally , tendering to shore first thing on Cunard tenders, the sea can be comparatively benign, The return journey though more often than not leaves many passengers pea green.

The last time on QV last year, Maid of the Forth helped out later on but even then, a passenger was very ill back to the ship.

 

[D&N]

8 hours ago, fruitmachine said:

I suspect that this could be a wider issue than just QM2.  When I watched Queen Victoria tendering to Newhaven, Edinburgh in May 2023, it stood out just how poor the tender drivers were at docking in the harbour in a breeze.  When the local boat that was also being used as a tender arrived, the difference in ability was glaring.

This sort of ties in with what I've been seeing on Marine Traffic at Cannes for some time. Some companies seem to use local boats by choice, and only supplement them with tenders towards the end of the visit.

To me it makes sense that the local crews will be much more accustomed to the currents etc than the cruise line's staff.

[fruitmachine]

1 hour ago, D&N said:

This sort of ties in with what I've been seeing on Marine Traffic at Cannes for some time. Some companies seem to use local boats by choice, and only supplement them with tenders towards the end of the visit.

To me it makes sense that the local crews will be much more accustomed to the currents etc than the cruise line's staff.

That may well be the case in many places, but in this instance it was happening in the harbour where there was no current.  They just couldn't cope with a bit of wind.

[fruitmachine]

3 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

Is South Queensferry often difficult for tenders? They had to suspend tendering on QA in May for about an hour because it was too rough. They used only the hired local boats.

 

2 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Certainly, it was decidedly bumpy when we were at Newhaven just along the Firth. It may be the inevitable effect of funnelling all that water into a narrowing space.

Typically Newhaven has more cancelled calls than South Queensferry.  South Queensferry is more sheltered and the distance between anchorage and landing is less.

[spiker829]

We have the same Transatlantic cruise on the QM2 booked for August 2025 (Southampton to NYC).  This will be our 3rd voyage on the QM2, and 2nd Transatlantic crossing going East to West. (The other voyage was to the Caribbean)  I have been to the Fjords years ago when I worked on the Norway (no longer part of Cunard) as Entertainment.  They are Beautiful!  Especially if one of your destinations is Geiranger, Norway. Because of all of the mists there are a ton of Rainbows and the hillside is full of small waterfall streams and houses with grass roofs. But because we are getting older (50/60) we love the TA cruises.  There is so much going on, on the QM2.  I don't know though if the same activities are available available during port cruises.  It is a hard choice between the two destinations.  I know that this doesn't help, but which either way you choose to go the two of you will have a blast and create great memories!

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

3 minutes ago, spiker829 said:

We have the same Transatlantic cruise on the QM2 booked for August 2025 (Southampton to NYC).  This will be our 3rd voyage on the QM2, and 2nd Transatlantic crossing going East to West. (The other voyage was to the Caribbean)  I have been to the Fjords years ago when I worked on the Norway (no longer part of Cunard) as Entertainment.  They are Beautiful!  Especially if one of your destinations is Geiranger, Norway. Because of all of the mists there are a ton of Rainbows and the hillside is full of small waterfall streams and houses with grass roofs. But because we are getting older (50/60) we love the TA cruises.  There is so much going on, on the QM2.  I don't know though if the same activities are available available during port cruises.  It is a hard choice between the two destinations.  I know that this doesn't help, but which either way you choose to go the two of you will have a blast and create great memories!

 

 

I think Geiranger is the most beautiful of the fjords. On my Alaska cruise in July, we sailed up Misty Fjord. I know people love it but I wasn't impressed--wider, sides not as high, not as many waterfalls as you see in Norway.

 

BTW, Norway (ex-France) belonged to NCL, not Cunard. 

[spiker829]

“BTW, Norway (ex-France) belonged to NCL, not Cunard.“

 

3rdGenCunarder - You are soooo right.  I meant the Vistafjord.  It was the entertainment company’s (Jean-Ann Ryan Productions) first contracted show on Cunard.  She also had contracts at the time with the NCL ships, which included the Norway and Southward, which I was on.  My apologies for the confusion.

[3rdGenCunarder]

55 minutes ago, spiker829 said:

“BTW, Norway (ex-France) belonged to NCL, not Cunard.“

 

3rdGenCunarder - You are soooo right.  I meant the Vistafjord.  It was the entertainment company’s (Jean-Ann Ryan Productions) first contracted show on Cunard.  She also had contracts at the time with the NCL ships, which included the Norway and Southward, which I was on.  My apologies for the confusion.

 

Jean-Ann Ryan had the best production shows!!!! Shows were designed specifically for QE2, making good use of the curving stairs on either side of the band area. As the NCL fleet grew, they took up all of J-A Ryan's time and Cunard got a new production company, Broadway Bound. Not nearly as good as the J-A Ryan shows. 

[DaisyUK]

I have been reading this thread with interest, as we are embarking on our first TA next month and I'm not at all sure whether we will love it or hate it. Being onboard for so many consecutive days is a little scary, but we are hopeful that we will enjoy the ship and that the lectures will be entertaining and interesting. There's only one way to find out!

[Planning to cruise]

I am sure that you will find more than enough to do.  Enjoy!

[LouChamp]

Aloha. Have been blessed to sail QM2 countless times since 2004 including transatlantic.  They are special and memorable and the long days at sea are reflective and certainly relaxing. Enjoy!

 

[david,Mississauga]

On 9/6/2024 at 1:14 PM, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

I think Geiranger is the most beautiful of the fjords.

... 

 

Geiranger gets my vote as well. We have only been twice. The first time was decades ago on the P&O Canberra.  Passengers did not go ashore.  The ship just turned around and went back. But it was great to travel such a stunning fjord.

 

Our first cruise on the QE was to Norway in 2013,  By that time cruise passengers were going ashore in tenders at Geiranger. We had an unusual excursion in a replica of a small Viking boat.  I was able to wear a horned helmet (yes, we were told that is not accurate) and sounded the war horn.